Criminal justice reporter

Authorities have evicted homeless people from beneath a bridge on the edge of downtown Athens.

On Tuesday, one week after an arson fire destroyed the camp and caused a gas leak that could have resulted in an explosion, officials put up no-trespassing signs on the North Avenue bridge where it crosses the North Oconee River.

Athens-Clarke police have increased patrols of the area to make sure no one returns to the camp, and a fence will soon be erected to keep out trespassers from under the bridge, according to Athens-Clarke County Manager Alan Reddish.

“Obviously, the fire focused our attention on the potential dangers of the utilities attached to the bridge,” Reddish said. “I met with appropriate folks at the end of last week and gave directions of things to accomplish so we not only ensure the safety of the people who lived there, but also the people who use the bridge and live in the surrounding area.”

One sign on the North Avenue bridge warns trespassers they will be prosecuted, and another is a danger sign that reads, “Utility transmission area. Authorized personnel only.”

County officials are working with Athens shelters and homeless advocates to try to get more people to sleep indoors and away from potential hazards, Reddish said.

“This is not just an issue of available shelters because some people choose to spend their time in the outdoor environment, and some persons have behavioral issues that might prevent shelters from allowing them in,” the county manager said. “Some of those persons will probably try to find another place, and we have to realize that’s part of the landscape of our community to some degree.”

In several interviews with the Athens Banner-Herald, people who live in homeless camps have said they don’t want to spend nights in shelters because drugs and alcohol are forbidden.

The police are not under orders to roust homeless people not breaking the law or creating a potentially public danger.

“There’s a level of sensitivity toward the homelessness in our community, and we’re not brazen about moving every homeless person that spends a night outdoors,” Reddish said. “At the same time, when we do find problems we take action.”

The arson fire under the North Avenue bridge brought focus on potential hazards homeless camps posed. In addition to the gas line that could have blown up, an AT&T line that serves customers over a large area also traverses the bridge.

If that line had been damaged or destroyed, thousands of AT&T customers could have lost service in northern Athens and adjoining counties to the northeast.

Last Friday, three days after the fire, Athens-Clarke police ordered patrol officers to check all bridges and highway overpasses in their zones to see if any homeless people were living near utility lines.

Reddish, to whom the police chief reports, had not seen a final report from those bridge checks as of Tuesday afternoon.

The North Avenue bridge is the only location where no-trespassing signs have been erected, though more could be added, he said.

“I’m not suggesting that we’re going to fence every bridge location, but when we identify hazards actions will be taken,” Reddish said.

Police said the North Avenue fire was intentionally set the night of Jan. 29 by 43-year-old Carole Rayeanne Childers-Queen, a longtime resident of the homeless camp beneath the bridge. Following an argument with another homeless person, police said, she set a boot on fire then threw it on some belongings beneath the bridge. The fire spread to clothing, furniture, mattresses and other items.

The blaze was so large it scorched the underside of the bridge and caused an Atlanta Gas Light pipe to spring a leak. Utility workers were able to repair the leak, which authorities said could have caused an explosion.

The accused arsonist and the homeless man she argued with had shared one of several “cuts” under the bridge — areas on a concrete ledge divided by bridge girders that were used as living quarters.

One camp resident saw Childers-Queen use a cigarette lighter to set fire to the boot, which she threw into the cut she shared with the man, police said. The woman left from under the bridge and squatted on a path nearby to watch the blaze she created, the witness told police.

While investigating, officers found Childers-Queen asleep on a wall not far from the homeless camp.

They observed that the pattern on the soles of the woman’s shoes matched footprints near where the cigarette lighter was located, police said, Based on the physical evidence and witness statements, Childers-Queen was arrested on charges of first-degree arson and first-degree criminal damage.

She continued to be held without bail at the Clarke County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon.